touchscreen

We have all become used to the idea that no news broadcast is complete without a ginormous iPad.

The ability to shift images and slides at the touch of a finger to the screen makes the TV presenter's gravitas just that much more gravitasy. It makes a Wolf just that much more Blitzer.

Yet, as this video first noticed by Videogum shows, not every TV presenter is a successful toucher and swiper.

This gentleman on a French-Canadian news channel suddenly finds that he wants to discuss troop movements in Gaza near elections, when his fingers cannot control chart movements … Read more

Unlike most of my colleagues, my recent Windows 8 experiences have been distinctly nontouch. As it turns out, the only two laptops I've reviewed with Microsoft's new operating system preinstalled both lacked touch screens: the Sony Vaio E17 and the Toshiba Satellite U845W. Both are what you'd consider "classic" laptops -- although the U845W has a unique, extra-wide screen.

Based on these early experiences with two "Windows 8-optimized" laptops, I'm not a fan of the nontouch Windows 8 world.… Read more

TV manufacturer Vizio made a splash earlier this year with the launch of a line of laptop and desktop PCs, showcasing designs that felt high-end and unique compared with the competition. Its latest updated lineup of PCs timed for the Windows 8 launch doesn't change the equation much, but the desktop systems finally get touch-screen displays that they lacked before.

Vizio's new 24- and 27-inch All-In-One Touch PCs add 10-finger capacitive multitouch to their 1080p displays, whereas previously these desktop PCs relied on wireless touch pads and remotes. These new desktop systems start at $998, although deeper specs … Read more

An Acer touch-screen Windows 8 laptop has popped up on the Home Shopping Network, along with other systems.

Brace yourself: touch-screen laptops will not be cheap.

Most of the specs are pretty underwhelming: a 1.7GHz Intel Core i5-3317U "Ivy Bridge" processor, 750GB hard disk drive, DVD drive, a thickness of over an inch (that's considered plump in the age of the ultrabook), and a weight of 5.4 pounds.

But one hardware feature sets it apart from the Windows 7 rabble: a 15.6-inch touch screen to go with Windows 8's touch-centric interface.

And that … Read more

One highlight of this year's Consumer Electronics Show was the debut of the 27-inch Windows all-in-one. Finally, two-and-a-half years after Apple debuted the 27-inch iMac, Windows vendors found a way to compete.

Asus, HP, Lenovo, Samsung, and Vizio all had big-screen all-in-ones to show off, giving CES an uncommonly intriguing batch of desktop PC announcements.

I had some hands-on time with Vizio's 27-incher a few weeks ago, but the company still has not submitted a system for review. That Samsung Series 9 all-in-one has come out in Asia, but it hasn't hit U.S. shores yet.… Read more

Microsoft has acquired Perceptive Pixel, a company specializing in large multitouch displays.

Perceptive Pixel made a name for itself in 2008 during the U.S. presidential election after several networks used its technology to power their large touch-displays. (Remember CNN's "Magic Wall?") Since then, the company has largely been operating under the radar and improving its technologies. This year, it announced the first-ever simultaneous pen and touch technology for its hardware.

Perceptive Pixel's hardware page currently lists 27-, 55-, and 82-inch LCDs on its Web site.

Although Microsoft didn't say for sure what it has … Read more

TAIPEI, Taiwan--While all-in-one touch screens have never lived up to the promise, the launch of Windows 8 later this year will mean a rash of new devices hitting the market. Will compelling touch-screen Windows apps for the desktop finally happen?

The bigger 7600U comes in at 27 inches and has a full HD resolution. Here, you can spot a slot-loading optical drive.

The touch screen allows up to 64 simultaneous inputs, which could have fascinating implications for multiuser programs. It can also be tilted flat like a table, and rotated for easy access.

Screen quality was excellent at first glance, and the Metro aesthetic translates really well to the large screen. We're looking forward to seeing if usability is up there as well. The product manager joked that vertically oriented, it's the world's biggest e-reader. From the sharp text we saw, he may not be far off the mark.… Read more

Japanese wireless carrier NTT DoCoMo and Fujitsu showed off a sensational prototype device at the 2012 Wireless Japan expo sporting a feature unlike any other on the market today: a transparent dual-sided OLED touch screen smartphone. In other words, science fiction meets reality.

The latest take on the barely there touch screen concept appears slightly more practical than ever before, as one could control the user interface from the front or rear of the phone. For example, one could pull down the notifications bar or select an icon with the unused index finger behind the phone, meaning less finger obstruction over the screen. The prototype shown at the expo featured a 2.4-inch OLED screen (320x240) and used an unidentified version of Android. … Read more

Haptic technology allows users to "feel" buttons on a touch-screen device by providing localized feedback when users' fingers touch button or control areas. A patent application filed in late March showed Apple's version of haptic technology, a process that would use piezoelectric actuators under the display to provide feedback.

A new patent application, uncovered by Patently Apple, shows that Apple is taking its haptic inquiry a step further. Apple's new displays for touch-screen devices would be flexible, allowing for a layer of the screen to actually raise itself when a button or control area is available … Read more